This story was inspired by my seventh cousin, removed seventeen times – seriously – Rangiku, whom I met yesterday. My cousin's name is Rangiku... it's really weird. Any who, thank you my strange cousin with a daughter I call Kurotsuchi Mayuri, I am in debt for this story idea.
Disclaimer – If I owned bleach, would I be torturing my characters or would it actually be happening in the manga? The only one I do own is Ite Shunsuke, but he's only the bad guy and has barely a role in it at all P YAY! I don't like OC's much either. Only as back ups for your plot devices... heh heh heh. Long disclaimer...
Fuyu Sensou no Owari – The End of the Winter War
It had been something more than three and a half years since the Winter war in Hueco Mundo had begun but for not a second had the eldest Kurosaki daughter left the Juubantai taichou's mind.
It had been over for a couple of months, but the Juubantai taichou had spent most of that time either in the infirmary or controlling his screwed up squad head quarters.
He had been the only one to return with scars. He refused to let anyone heal him first as others needed healing and some of his wounds healed over them selves, but they left scars, unlike the ones that were healed by a member of the yonbantai.
Everyone in his squad reminded him, he actually had war scars. Zaraki Kenpachi, the juuichibantai taichou had tried to get the younger captain to boast about his scars, as they were a sign of strength to Zaraki and his squad. But he didn't want to know about the scar, cut across his cheek in a diagonal direction just missing his left aquamarine eye.
The war had reminded him that Hyourinmaru, his zanpuktou was not a solid mass that could not break. Hyourinmaru had shattered, but the hilt remained. Hyourinmaru was returned to his normal state after a day or so, but it had made being in enemy territory extremely difficult. Materializing the ice dragon had solved most of the problem. A giant ice dragon that can control the weather and freeze everything in a single breath was rather frightening, after all.
But this moment had been more frightening than any time in Hueco Mundo. Absolutely nothing had made him feel so worried. Ichigo had told him that Karin had moved to an apartment on the outside of Karakura town.
Hitsugaya Toushirou had knocked, exactly four times for every minute for the last two and fifty nine seconds.
"Karin? Are you in there?" He called, knocking on the door for the third time.
The woman who opened the door didn't remind him of the teenager he had left behind to go to war, nor did he remind her of the man who had left her.
"Tou...shirou," She muttered, turning to the cries of a young girl and a young boy behind her.
"Karin," he said, glad that it was actually her. Ichigo had sent him to the wrong place before, which ended up making him look like an idiot.
"'kaasa, who is the strange man at ta door?" Chou asked, her name short for Jigoku-Chou or Hell Butterfly.
"This man is Hitsugaya Toushirou, Chou-chan,"
"Can he see ghosts too?"
"Yes he can,"
"Oh! Is he a ghost?"
"I don't think so at the moment. Are you Hitsugaya-taichou? Or are you in a gigai again?"
Hitsugaya was taken aback. Since when has Karin talked so politely to him? Had she really changed that much. And was Chou actually her daughter?
"I'm in a gigai,"
"Like the one Urahara-san has? Kawaii!" Chou smiled standing in the doorway beside Karin.
"Urahara-san's is cute isn't it? You like Yoruichi's, don't you Chou?" Karin smiled.
"Neko kawaii! Neko kawaii!"
"Why don't you go find Otousan and Ryuushirou, Chou?"
"'kaasa! Chou wants to talk to Hisugaia-kun!"
"Jigoku-Chou..."
"Chou's going!" The little girl said, running away from her mother. The little girl had long black hair and aquamarine eyes and looked like she preferred the cold weather just by the way she was acting when it was snowing outisde.
Yes, Hitsugaya Toushirou was standing in the snow.
"Is there a reason you came here, Hitsugaya-taichou?" Karin asked, obviously not interested in anything he wanted to say or for the fact he was there at all.
"Iie, I just thought I would come and see how you were, since it's been so long,"
"I take it the winter war has finished, hasn't it?" Karin asked, "I take it that the Soul Society were victorious? I saw Ichigo walking around Karakura the other day."
Hitsugaya was stunned. Surely, this Karin was different from the Karin he had met, eight years ago and had eventually grown close to. She was the football fanatic that loved her family and never wanted to leave her family incase they needed her.
This Karin's eyes were red and blood shot, from crying or lack of sleep or a combination of the two, and her clothes were only ironed slightly, enough to get rid of major wrinkles. There was no beautiful smile, no glimmering obsidian eyes, no laugh, no playful 'Toushirou!' and there seemed to be no sight of happiness in her stature.
"Yes, we were. Aizen won't return to harm anyone again,"
"That's good news," Karin said, but she didn't sound like she cared at all, "Is Hinamori alright?"
"Ah, Hinamori has recovered slightly. She still has a while to go,"
"I hope she gets better,"
He was praying for his phone to go off. If it went off, he wouldn't have to stand here, next to the nightmare he once admitted that he loved and once made him happy.
Hyourinmaru! Think of something!
Since when did you start asking my opinions, Taichou-chan? You've changed because of the war, haven't you?
Hyourinmaru! You worthless piece of sh-
Hey! If you say that, I'll stop responding when you need me.
Just hurry up and think of something.
Fine... The ice dragon whined as he did something, causing Hitsugaya's phone to start beeping wildly.
"What the...?" Hitsugaya asked, checking his phone, "I'm sorry Karin, but-"
"It's alright. Your Shinigami duties come above all else, ne? It was nice to see you again," Karin said, closing the door as Hitsugaya ran off, trying to get as far away as possible.
His back hit a tree as he slid down, unsure of how he felt, but it sure wasn't natural.
"Taichou!" Matsumoto said, running quickly to her captain, "Daijoubu desu ka?"
The orange haired woman was frightened for her captain's mental stability. The speed she had noticed him arrive at the small park was not reassuring and for him to have collapsed against a tree and looked so distressed was another thing all together.
"Matsumoto, I think I've just witnessed the scariest and strangest thing in the living world, Hueco Mundo and the Soul Society," Hitsugaya said, trying to breathe normally. Matsumoto had never known her Taichou to find anything frightening or strange. Everything was as it should have been.
"What's that, Taichou?"
"Kurosaki Karin,"
"Eh?!?!"
It's weird, I know, but I guess that's just the starter.
Review please.
Masashi-kun (my cousin) is gonna kill me... I was supposed to be studying when I wrote this so please review to make it worth while!!
Yamarai-chan